On the scorched ruins of Japan.
Katyusha stood by the collapsed street, her right hand still looking somewhat awkward.
Chen Mo had just repaired her hand. Apart from looking a little unnatural, it was fine and didn't affect energy gathering. However, the dark red lines under her skin didn't look like something a normal person should have.
She glanced down.
"So ugly."
On the other side.
The evacuation is not yet over in Kyiv.
The streets were piled high with heavy loads that couldn't be moved in time, and soldiers were running through the ruins carrying documents and weapons. Several trucks were parked on the side of the road, and wounded soldiers were being carried in one after another. The truck beds were already overflowing, and stretchers had to be strapped to the back of the trucks.
An explosion was heard in the distance, black smoke rose from the direction of the warehouse, and the flames illuminated half the street. No one wanted to leave the things they couldn't take with them to the Germany.
Yelena remained standing, waiting for Chen Mo to return. Her right hand was raised in mid-air, a thin layer of frost on her palm, but she hesitated to release it.
There were seven people standing in front of her.
Three veterans, two reformed soldiers, and two officers who had just arrived from the rear.
They were all wounded; some had their arms in slings, others had half their faces wrapped in bandages, and the youngest modified soldier's eyes were still bleeding.
"Comrade Yelena, move aside."
The leading veteran's voice was hoarse, "We don't mean to make things difficult for you."
"Please, go back. You can't stop him."
Yelena clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. "To him, Battleship Class is nothing more than a pig waiting to be slaughtered, let alone you?"
"Comrade Yelena, precisely because I am not a pig, I will ask even if it kills me."
The veteran looked towards the spot where Chen Mo and Katyusha had disappeared.
There was only a pile of charred bricks and stones; the dark red smoke had long since dissipated, and the marks left on the ground by the heat remained.
"Comrade Katyusha saved our lives."
He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Three months ago, the Germans bombed Position No. 3, and our entire unit was trapped in the crater. She single-handedly braved the shelling and carried the wounded out."
The modified soldier next to him whispered, "Yes, my brother is in there too."
Yelena did not speak.
She had heard about this. At that time, many people said that Katyusha was not a weapon like the Germany cyborgs, but a hero who came to save the Soviet Union.
After all, weapons won't turn back to rescue a group of wounded soldiers who have already been abandoned by their superiors after a retreat order has been issued.
But Chen Mo had also saved him and the Soviet Union's defenses.
Without him, Siegfried and the main German forces would have torn this place to shreds.
The accounts on both sides were laid out in front of her, like two cold pieces of iron, making it hard for her to breathe.
"But if you just charge in like that, you're just throwing your lives away."
Yelena's voice lowered, " Katyusha wouldn't want you to end up like this either."
"No matter what, we will stay here."
The veteran raised his head.
"If he comes back, we'll ask him one question. If she's still alive, we'll turn around and leave. If she's dead, we'll all go for it."
The officer beside him looked grim. "This is pointless."
"I know."
The veteran nodded. "But I still can't pretend nothing happened."
Yelena felt a tightness in her chest.
The crowds on the street gradually moved away from the area. The soldiers sensed something was wrong, but no one dared to approach. Several officers watched from a distance, their hands already on their holsters, but were stopped by the men beside them.
Suddenly, a wisp of dark red smoke rose into the air.
Yelena's pupils contracted.
Everyone simultaneously took half a step back.
The smoke spread out and then quickly gathered back up.
Chen Mo walked out, his boots making a soft sound as they stepped on the broken bricks.
He glanced around.
Veterans, reformed soldiers, officers, and Yelena standing at the very front.
The positioning was quite deliberate.
One soldier was so scared his legs were trembling, but his feet wouldn't move. Another man's heart rate was about 200, but he still stubbornly refused to move.
Chen Mo blinked.
"What do you mean? I was only gone for a short while, and you're already holding a memorial service here?"
No one dared to laugh; the group exchanged glances and fell silent.
Yelena lowered her hand and looked at her with a hopeful gaze.
Where's Katyusha?
The veteran was the one who asked the question, and when everyone was silent, he spoke the first words.
Chen Mo looked at him.
The veteran's face was pale, but the veins in his neck were taut. He clearly knew who he was talking to, but he still asked the question.
How is she?
Chen Mo paused for a moment.
The wind blew through the ruins, stirring up a few pieces of charred paper ash.
to be honest?
It's said that Katyusha was beaten to the point of having only half a body left, and that she still has the Blacklight tissue inside her, and is currently searching for people in the ruins of Japan with his safety cocoon?
If I say that, these people in front of me will probably rush at me on the spot.
Then he also had to kill them while he was at it.
trouble.
What's more troublesome is that he just made a promise to Katyusha.
He wouldn't kill them because of her, as long as they didn't attack him first.
Chen Mo looked into the veteran's eyes and sighed.
Don't worry, she's still alive.
The veteran was stunned.
Yelena also looked up.
"Really? She's still alive?"
"Um."
Chen Mo casually said, "She has a terrible temper. She gave me a big beating the moment we met, so I beat her up. She's a bit more obedient now, and I've put her to work. She won't be back for a while."
The Soviet soldiers exchanged glances.
They didn't believe it; Katyusha wasn't the type to become obedient after a beating.
But Chen Mo said those words so calmly that they couldn't find a reason to press him further.
The young modified soldier coughed twice and asked, "Is she injured?"
"I've suffered a bit."
Chen Mo looked at him, "What, are you going to go and bandage her up?"
The modified soldier lowered his head.
He can't go, and even if he did, there's nothing he could do.
The veteran slowly lowered his gun, and the men behind him breathed a sigh of relief, releasing their weapons as well.
"Thank you for telling us this, comrade."
Chen Mo waved his hand.
"Don't thank me, I'm not really suited to being addressed so formally."
The veteran said nothing more.
He turned and left, his back slightly hunched. The others followed, and after a few steps, one of them turned back to look at Chen Mo.
There was still doubt in his eyes, but more than that, there was a weariness from temporarily letting go.
Yelena stood there, motionless for a long time.
She watched the direction the group of people had left, and her shoulders slowly relaxed.
"You didn't lie to them, did you?"
Chen Mo looked at her.
Yelena's voice was very soft, "Is she really still alive?"
"Alive."
"That's good."
Yelena closed her eyes briefly.
She wanted to believe, even just for a moment, rather than immediately hear a bad outcome.
Chen Mo did not continue to explain.
What do you mean by "explain"?
So, Katyusha is indeed alive, but she's under the influence of his Blacklight organization, and there's a safety device at her feet that could shove her back down at any moment?
Or was it that he let her go not because he suddenly became kind, but simply because he felt she was more useful alive than dead?
never mind.
There's no point in saying these things.
Chen Mo looked up into the distance.
"If you think it's good, then so be it. I don't care."
The evacuation convoy was still moving out of the city, black smoke, flames, cries, and commands mingling together, dragging the entire city into a hasty escape.
Yelena suddenly spoke up, "What about our deal?"
Chen Mo looked away.
She stood by the ruins, her long, silvery-white hair streaked with dust, her facial wounds still untreated. Even though she was so exhausted she could barely stand, she still looked up at him.
"I promised you, I would give you everything."
Chen Mo stroked his chin.
"Why are you actively reminding your creditor to collect the money?"
I was afraid you'd forget to calculate interest later.
Chen Mo laughed.
"That's great, they're even answering first!"
Yelena did not smile.
She just looked at him, as if waiting for an outcome.
Chen Mo thought for a moment, then raised his hand and pointed to the convoy outside the city.
"You go with them first."
Yelena frowned.
Aren't you going to take me with you?
"What's the rush?" Chen Mo said, "This debt is still on my books, you can't escape it."
He looked up at the distant sky.
News about the Hellfire Club, the Black King, the German Labs, and the resources Emma Frost has reorganized should be coming soon.
He's already stirred up enough chaos in this war.
Next, we'll see what kind of dish the Black King can serve him.
Chen Mo smiled.
"I'll come back to collect the debt after I'm done with my work."